


It's Always a Robot

by keelievee



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/F, Nonbinary Character, Other, Robot/Human Relationships, Robots, San Francisco, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2019-12-18 10:06:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18247652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keelievee/pseuds/keelievee
Summary: Talus has a secret. In 2019 they are the only walking, talking, feeling android in a world of humans. They move unknown amongst the humans of San Francisco through day jobs and side hustles, from game night to bar crawls like any other millennial. They experience longing and hurt. They experience the passage of time. They can never tell anyone what they contain under their cyberskin. They play some killer ultimate frisbee.Cyd has a secret. In 3049 they are the only flesh-and-blood human left in a world of androids. All other humans have perished, slowly and painfully, under the toxic sun. Somehow, Cyd alone has survived in a society where humans are seen as weak, a drain on society, a menace to World Peace. They move smoothly, carefully through the world in which they have awakened: the New Cyborg Empire. If they are found out, they will surely face extermination. Enter the Spanner, an experimental device said to hurl its wielder through time...When Talus and Cyd meet, both must try to protect their secrets. Talus strives to appear human, while Cyd fears their human identity being exposed should they be followed back in time. But how long can they hide their true selves from one another as they fall in love?





	1. Talus

**I. Talus**

 

It should have been a perfect day, the day the sky opened. Certainly, the day before was completely ordinary. Talus lay in bed with their headphones on and the gravelly croon of canadian indie rock tickling their E.A.R.s (Ergonomic Auditory Receptors). They enjoyed music. They were designed to.

Talus was the first and only fully independent sentient android to be given free will and set loose in the world. Their permission to live a humanesque life alongside the population of San Francisco came with a caveat, of course. They were sworn to secrecy about the nature of their existence, observed at all times by the covert government agency by which they had been created. The first experiment in the budding industry of androids designed to live amongst humans, contributing to society through art, academia, and athletics. These androids would consume no resources, save their manufacturing and programming, but would allow for the population to enjoy their very human experiences and the further enrichment of global culture. That was the theory, anyway. Talus was the first test, and confidentiality was key to the experiment.

Being programmed an Art Droid themself, Talus was primarily drawn to and inspired by music, literature, performance and visual arts. Their favorite track that spring of 2019 (titled _Robot Heart)_ was currently streaming through the headphones. Talus found it especially relatable. They always enjoyed songs that highlighted the robotic experience, though they knew humans could only approximate in their imaginations the unique lifestyle Talus alone led. That was enough. Human imagination had led to Talus's very existence, a rememberance which sparked and churned the circuits in their chest, simulating the synaptic firing the rest of the population imagined was occuring in their cardiac muscle. Talus smiled. They enjoyed Feeling.

As the album wound to a close, the thrift store digital clock on the nightstand clicked over to noon. Nearly time to leave the dingy Oakland apartment they shared with two others, humans by the names of Ilena and Lucy (both designated female, consensually joined as a romantic unit) and catch the BART into San Francisco proper. Their day job as a busser at a popular restaurant in Chinatown paid the rent, while side hustles as a dog walker and a courier running documents from office to office through the skyscrapers of downtown afforded them night classes at a prestigious local art academy.

Despite being programmed to excel at artistic endeavors, Talus still had to put in the effort. “No art without sacrifice, no inspiration without perspiration,” they had been told when fresh off the production line. To understand the human creativity process, the android had been given only enough of an edge in their designated field of use to be more _inclined_ to succeed. A passion, a drive, a sharper wit, a keener eye. Talus was drawn to music primarily, but even more so to performance arts and painting.

Hopping out of bed and shimmying into a torn pair of grey skinny jeans, Talus took a moment to check their reflection in the mirror. Slender, androgynous and rocking a serious cowlick that persisted throughout the awkward haircut currently growing out, they were designed to match the hip, somewhat fey aesthetic currently trendy with the millenial artiste set of California's Bay Area. Talus winked at their reflection, threw their black slacks and button-down work shirt into a backpack before sliding on a worn pair of sneakers and heading out their bedroom door.

Ilena, a young chicana with large eyes and a pierced septum, was leaning on the kitchen counter, clutching a steaming mug of coffee and staring dreamily out the window across the bay. She barely twitched her head when Talus entered the room.

“Oh hey Talus, I didn't realize you were home,” sighed the petite lady.

“Yeah, I just slept in. Late night at the park with the gang.” responded Talus, referencing their ultimate frisbee team, The Naughtylus. The team's logo featured a brightly colored sea creature winking suggestively. “You ok, Illie?”

“Oh yeah, totally. Just vibing. The water is extra sparkly today. Weird. Almost looks fake.” Ilena's favorite mug was slightly cracked, and a drop of coffee wet her finger. She didn't notice.

“Right on,” Talus said. Dreamy moods sometimes caught Ilena. “Is Lucy home?”

“Nah, she's still at work. Overtime at the hospital, como siempre. Should be home soon though. Maybe we can all do dinner later?”

“You two have the place to yourselves tonight. I'm at the restaurant until 10, then picking up an overnight dogsitting gig at the owner's house. Won't be back until tomorrow afternoon.” Talus dropped a smooch on Illie's wet hand, enjoying the taste of the coffee that had cooled there and making Ilena giggle. “Bye, princesa. Be good!”

“Never. See ya, Talus!” She waved one long-fingered hand as Talus made their way down the three flights of stairs and onto the street. The interaction with Illie had made Talus 1.5 minutes behind schedule, so they had to slightly increase their ambulation to compensate and catch the BART on time.

The April sun shone pleasantly, sparkling on the water as Talus tapped their fingers rhythmically on the frisbee balanced across their thin thighs, rocking along to the new Weezer track now playing on the headphones that rarely left their E.A.R.s. Ilena had been right. The water was an unusually deep green, with light glittering across the top in rare hues that appeared almost...orange? Talus yearned to paint it, and saved the image in their perfect memory to recreate in class on Thursday evening.

Though Talus appeared to have a perfectly normal human life, small things reminded them of their differences from everyone else around them. No one else on this train possessed Snapshot Memory Recall, was keenly aware of the whirring of their cybernetics, remembered so clearly and stubbornly the utterance of their creators. Their first memory.

_Though the android appears human and will behave as such, remember: it's always a robot. This being is not truly human._

No big deal, Talus told themself. It's just parts.

Their friendship with their roommates, their teammates, their coworkers made them basically human. They told themself that they were no different from the athletes, composers, artists and writers who were gifted with all-natural talent. Just different parts. Most of the time, they believed themself.

The commute to work passed in relative peace, though Talus could have done without the ripe odor of the homeless woman who sat next to them on the bus. The overwhelming reek of cheese and illness. It wasn't her fault. Talus slipped a five dollar bill into her bag while she slept, hoping she would be safe that night, and maybe find someplace to clean up. They were a deeply compassionate machine, a necessary attribute for the creation of art. Talus was still thinking of the woman on the bus and what her story might be when they arrived at the restaurant. Their shift passed more quickly than usual, as they were lost in thought over all the works they could create from the inspiration gifted by the commute. The orange-green water, the old woman. Maybe a painting? Maybe new choreography for a forever-unfinished modern dance show. Possibly a spoken word piece for next week's slam poetry night at the coffeehouse they frequented with their roommates.

Punching out after the late dinner rush, Talus caught another bus to the large and beautiful house where they would be spending the night. _The gig economy can be pretty dope_ , they thought, gazing at the clean exterior of the white house. It was nice to take a break from the crappy apartment that was all the three of them could afford in rapidly-gentrifying Oakland. _Holy crap, this place even has a brass knocker on the door. That's some cinematic shit._ They could imagine so clearly three kinds of movie they could write in a setting like this. Two middle-aged people, a heterosexual couple, would open the doors and beckon in the young queer waiting outside. From there, what? A horror flick would have the hapless dogsitter in an increasingly dire series of disturbing tortures, from the psychological to the gory. A romantic comedy, on the other hand, would lead to our protagonist bumping into the folks' handsome son or daughter, presumed to be at college, who decided to visit mom and dad as a surprise. They would awkwardly try to work around one another, but one thing would lead to another...

Before Talus could fully formulate the third possible film direction, the door opened and they found themself face to face with a perfectly nondescript couple, neither menacing nor romantically whimsical. _Back to reality, then._ At least the middle-aged part was equal to their imaginings. The couple, John and Rachel, led them through the standard routine: phone numbers here, dog food here, leash there. Talus was welcome to anything in the fridge, but kindly asked not to touch the wine cellar. As an android, Talus rarely partook of human nourishment, so they had no intention of helping themself to anything John and Rachel offered. They thanked the couple courteously anyway, as they had learned was the appropriate response. Homeowners tended to be uncomfortable with a housesitter who claimed not to need sustenance. Gig economy was a great teacher of human etiquette, Talus had found.

The dog was a very sweet, low-maintenance Welsh Corgi named Reginald. Talus and Reggie had a lovely evening, dancing together in the high-ceilinged and pristine living room to The Ramones and later taking a midnight stroll around the affluent neighborhood in which Reggie's humans lived. Around two in the morning, Talus and Reggie fell asleep together on the couch.

The next morning, the morning of the day the sky opened, was overcast. Talus could feel the electricity in the air. Refreshed from a night on John and Rachel's comfortable couch, they opted to hop a bikeshare rather than take the bus across town to the BART. Plenty of time to cruise around the city. It was a Wednesday, Talus's only day off from all their various hustles. No noisy restaurant to leave their clothing saturated in the smell of chinese food, no lawyers and bankers brusquely pushing folders into their hands or snatching them away. No dogs to dance with or houses to inspire film scripts. Talus planned to hit the park and see if they could find a pickup game of ultimate before heading home to take part in their share of the apartment's chores. Maybe Ilena and Lucy would want to hit the coffee shop or the library. Talus pedaled hard, cresting hills with a natural sleek athleticism, then cruising down them swiftly and fearlessly, enjoying the feeling of the wind in their already-messy hair.

The thick electric air felt strange. While lazily winding down the Embarcadero, the servos on the back of their neck prickled. An analogy of the human sympathetic system, designed to synthesize a physical sensation complementing the intuitive perception of danger. Talus glanced over their shoulder, certain they would see a car barreling down the bike lane toward them or some similar threat. As their eyes were filled with the reality of the situation, however, only their hyper-efficient inborn reflexes saved them from wiping out on San Francisco's main tourist drag. Cars shrieked to a stop and toddlers cried on the pier. Visiting New Yorkers and Midwesterners stared up, painfully up, unaware of the tears running from their eyes.

The sky had ( _finally, inevitably_ ) opened.

A supersaturated black void practically glowed between the livid orange roughness that ringed nearly one quarter of the visible sky. The same orange that both Talus and Ilena had noticed that morning. The orange clearly imprinted in Talus's Snapshot Memory Recall. The orange they knew, somewhere deep in their robot heart.

“Holy shit.” they whispered.

 

**Interlude One of Four: It Twitches.**

 

The Spanner can feel, you know. It wasn't programmed to, obviously. It just kind of Happened that way. Shhh, don't tell. It can feel what is coming. It has to, or it won't be ready. This is evolution at its most raw, most primal. The Spanner is too finely tuned to all the everything that ever was and ever could or will be to not Feel. How could we have ever thought otherwise?

 

 


	2. Cyd

**II. Cyd**

 

Everything was too loud. Cyd's ears rang and their eyes couldn't seem to adjust to the overwhelming dark, occasionally pierced by sharp beams of searchlights. They crouched in the mud and grimaced at the pebbles that hid there, the uncomfortable sensation of them almost more than they could bear. They were too loud, too. Cyd squeezed their eyes shut for a few moments, willing the static in their head to quiet.

It had been nearly a year since they woke up alone in the strange lab. Though they couldn't recall how they came to be on that cold, too-smooth table to begin with, they knew instinctively who was responsible for their abduction. This had NCE agents written all over it. The New Cyborg Empire wouldn't suffer a human to live in their world. What had once been Earth was now totally populated by robots. Though their inexplicable fascination with humanity led them to covet sensation and skin, in 3049 humans were extinct. The only piece of the human race still to be found was the cloned skin (made of real human cells) only afforded and worn by the most affluent, the True Cyborgs.

Well, and Cyd. But that was the problem.

Cyd was the last human, still surviving in the shadows of the society that had taken control of the Earth in the wake of the Toxic Sun. Humans had struggled valiantly, but one by one they had died terrible deaths. Skin peeling away from muscle, radiation sickness and no potable water left to quench their desperate thirst. Most perished from dehydration before their teeth and hair fell out. Some weren't so lucky. Androids designed to enrich and care for the human race hadn't been any help. They wept for their friends and lovers but ultimately were out of their depth. How could a few emotional jocks and artists stand with humanity against the more obvious horse in the race? Government Bots took control of the planet while androids stayed quiet in small communities of poets and writers. No android danced or sang anymore out of respect for their fallen comrades.

Life on the run was tough, but Cyd was tougher. For months, they'd been skulking, moving at night farther and farther from the central city of York Prime. The NCE would never stop searching for them, but robots couldn't predict what a scared human could do, how creative a fugitive could be. Progress had been slow. In order to avoid the sun, deadly still, they could only travel in the dark. They slept during the day, often in thorny underbrush or the skin-yards, municipal dumps full of cast-off human clone flesh. If the environment was too forbidding for a human to consider, Cyd considered it. Abandoned shelters and bank vaults in the old ruins of humanity were good too, though rare. After 700 years, most of the structures humans had built had either disintegrated or been demolished. The lead lining was impossible for Sentry Bot sensors to read through, so Cyd would camp out for days at a time when they found shelters like these. Renegade androids here and there hid them in their storage lockers and galleries, whispering words of encouragement and rumors of a Device that could serve as an escape. The impulse to fight back had been quashed early. Though the androids were angry,  _ so angry _ , a coup was out of the question. Any uprising would be vaporized immediately. Planetary relocation was the only way Cyd would get out of this mess.

Now, in this gritty mud puddle behind a rural research facility, Cyd was close. So damn close to escaping. Or death.  _ Make it or break it time, kid, _ they thought to themself. Their fingers massaged the mud as they counted the Sentry Bots outside the front door of the office. The Spanner should be inside, in a safe to which only the highest echelon of Research Bots knew the code. Unless there was no Spanner. If the rumors were only hopeful whispers in the dark with no substance behind the legend, or if the location data was incorrect...this may be Cyd's final act. That would be ok, though. After these long months living on fear, adrenaline, tree bark and stolen water, they were ready for this to be over one way or another. They were so tired.

There were four Sentry Bots total. Every hour the two guarding the front door would swap places with the two keeping watch over the gate between the research compound and the run-down highway. About 30 seconds spanned the time between which one set of Bots would _clamp clomp_ toward the gate and the other set would _clomp clamp_ back to the door. 30 seconds was plenty to get inside. Cyd wouldn't need a plan to get back out again. Nearly one year. Months and weeks and days of sleeping rough, of scant sips of stolen resources, the crushing weight of unsafety, and it all came down to this moment. Muscles stiff and screaming (why was everything so damn _loud_?) after three hours' observation in the mud behind the lab. Their brain buzzing and the search lights and gravel and smells of the skin-yards just all too loud, but soon it would all end. Spanner or not, Cyd wouldn't suffer in the New Cyborg Empire anymore. The Sentry Bots began their _clamp clomp_ toward the gate and it was time. Slinking around the building and toward the front door of the research facility, Cyd moved silently and smoothly as a well-maintained android. They pressed against the wall to avoid the cameras, slipped through the door and into the laboratory. Another damn robot lab. They shuddered remembering their awakening in another lab, many cities away now, so many months ago.

 

_Bright lights and cold steel. Rhythmic whirring of machinery. Tubes. So many tubes deep in my throat, nose, arms, navel. What is this place? How long have I been unconscious? Where is the way out? Why won't it all just_ _**shut up?** _ _Pulling out those damn tubes, choking down screams of pain as the searing agony wrenches through my weakened body. Gotta get out of here. Paperwork reading_ _**NCE** _ _on the desk has my photo attached. I grab it as I stumble out the door and down a long, cold, empty corridor. Where the hell is everyone? Anyone? I'm alone. That's good, better that way. All I know is I'm human and alive in the New Cyborg Empire. They'll come for me. Hell, might even be on the way. Pull it together, buddy. Here's the door, here's the outside world. Here's the road outta this city._

 

In the months that followed, they learned in bits and pieces about the way of things in the world now. About the fate that had befallen the rest of humanity. The papers they'd swiped from the lab in York Prime detailed the extinction of humans and Cyd's status as the sole mammalian survivor on the planet formerly known as Earth. It didn't take long to discover how deadly the sun remained. They bore deep scars on their right arm from the morning they overslept and the shadows had crept back enough for a mild sunburn to melt their skin off the muscle. It would have been painful, had the nerve survived. Other snippets of information gleaned from news holos and ally androids included data on common Bot types and their place in the NCE heirarchy, locations of safe lodging and potable water, and most interestingly legends of the Spanner and its ability to transport its holder through time and space.

And now, after all this time and suffering, the last of mankind was about to take a giant leap.

Looking around this new laboratory, Cyd was struck by a creeping feeling that this was all too easy. _The door should have been locked_ , they thought. _There should have been more Sentries._ A burbling giggle sounded in Cyd's head, somehow inside their mind but not belonging to them. Before they could even panic about how obviously they had lost their mind, the floor began to liquify. The thin, worn boots they had stolen from the ruins of a farmhouse were stuck fast in the sticky tile. Viscous goo was slowly creeping up and over the toe of the weathered brown boots. Of course it was a trap. Some kind of human-activated glue trap, it seemed. Panic began to set in as Cyd heard the _clomp clamp_ of Sentry Bot feet coming toward them. Somewhere nearby a siren was whining. Eyes frantically darting around the lab's front office, Cyd deflated at the sight of the safe. The safe said to contain the one device that could carry them to safety. The safe just barely out of reach.

The door slammed open and all four Bots were filling the room. As tall and wide as nearly two jock androids, these monstrosities were designed for ruthless efficiency in tracking and eliminating threats to the New Cyborg Empire. Cyd could outpace them when the odds were in their favor, large and clunky as they were, but this was definitely not one of those times. Certain that vaporization was imminent, Cyd closed their eyes. Almost a relief to finally rest, even if that rest were eternal.

"Orders dictate this specimen be returned alive," rattled out of one Bot's voice grille. Too much dust in the speaker distorted the sound to chilling effect out here in the praries. As Cyd registered that they weren't about to be dispatched, the sense of dread and exhaustion was nearly overwhelming. _If they want me alive, that means they want something from me. God, why can't this all be over?_

Another voice spoke up, once again in a funny burble from the back of Cyd's mind. "You're not going anywhere. Well, not without me." The sensation was strange and ticklish.

Convinced they were going crazy, Cyd thought loudly at the small voice, _Who are you? Can you help me?_

"That's pretty subjective. You've been looking for me. You think I can fix things. I can do a lot, but neither of us gets to choose where we end up."

_What are you talking about? This is serious, I don't have time for riddles! In a minute here, these clunkers will carry me off to where I'll never see the sky again. I'll probably be stripped for parts!_

"That sounds so fun and unpleasant. It's not for us, though. We have business elsewhere."

As the Sentry Bots first lay their hands on Cyd, beginning to pull them painfully from the sticky floor, the door to the safe creaked open. The bots froze, clearly confused, and Cyd's heart lurched. It couldn't be...could it? The Spanner was a tool, not designed to speak telepathically or practice blatant acts of telekinesis. This was definitely insanity.

The safe contained a single metal object about twice the length of Cyd's palm. It was silver and thin with a crescent on either end. This object was the most beautiful thing Cyd had ever seen, but there was no time to admire it now. The Sentry Bots had recovered from their surprise and were back in action. Two were working on removing the shoes from the sticky floor while the other two approached the safe. Just as the boots began to tear and disintigrate, the object in the safe flung itself through the air and into Cyd's scarred right hand.

"Nice catch. Let's go," bubbled the Spanner's voice inside Cyd's mind. Before they could respond, the world seemed to twist in on itself and the two runaways were gone. The only sign of the human and device were two torn boots still stuck in the glue trap floor and three baffled Sentry Bots. The fourth was nowhere to be seen.

 

*** ***

 

The Spanner pulled Cyd along through a tunnel of some kind. It was too loud to the touch, but the vibrating sides kept their quiet as long as Cyd didn't reach out to feel them. The Bots were far behind them now, even the one that had been clinging to their calf as the Spanner swept them into this portal. That unwelcome tagalong had lost its grip almost immediately, falling through the side of the tunnel and into the void outside. Cyd shuddered to speculate what lay outside the protective tube, but wasn't granted much time to imagine. Approximately five minutes after being pulled into the tunnel, both Cyd and the Spanner were falling through a ring of orange so bright it hurt Cyd's head to look at. On the other side of the ring was a sky so clear and blue, and right in the middle was the sun. A new danger.

With a huge splash, Cyd landed in a great body of water. They had never seen such vast quantities of water! It tasted of sweat and fungus, salty and dank. They began to sink and were relieved to find they were in a shallows near the land. On shaking legs, Cyd stood in the water.

_My god, the sun!_ They ducked under a structure nearby to wait for nightfall. As the water sloshed around their ankles and they shivered in the shadow of the structure, Cyd's brain was spinning. The Spanner was still clutched in their hand, but had gone silent after spiriting Cyd away and they had no way of knowing where or when they found themself. There were voices drifting across the water. They sounded human, and Cyd's heart clenched. This place was all too much. The static was back and all Cyd could do was rock back and forth under the wooden planks and quietly sob with exhaustion and heartache. After a hard cry they succumbed to sleep, hoping that this hiding spot was sufficient to keep them safe.

They woke up sore and stiff, the Spanner still clenched in their destroyed right hand. There were few voices now and the deadly sun had set. Cyd relieved themself in the shrub beside the wooden structure and stretched in the shadows. Time to take stock of their surroundings and plan their next move. _Where are we, Spanner?_ No response. _Ok then, looks like I'm on my own again._ Still, better than the hellscape they'd been trapped in for the past year. They hoped.

Cyd tucked the Spanner into their belt and pulled the strap tight, then crept around the edge of the structure and up a slant. They appeared to have slept under a wooden path that extended out over the water a distance before terminating abruptly. Four more such structures stretched out over the waterfront. There were chain fences surrounding the immediate area, dotted with signs to indicate this zone was off-limits to the public. How fortunate they happened upon a low-traffic area upon their arrival! Cyd slunk along the fenceline until they encountered a break in the chain link. With a bit of persuasion, the fence bent enough for them to slip through. Now they found themself on a street in a city that was very much alive.

A large clock tower stood proudly a short distance away and beyond it a bridge over salt water that seemed endless. Paved and fenced pathways ran along the waterfront. Here and there was a tree, and humanoids (probably androids) walked along the paths with a relaxed gait. Occasionally one would zip past on a vehicle with two wheels. Others drove primitive transports similar to the ones found in ruins throughout the New Cyborg Empire. _Toyotas,_ Cyd thought, remembering a user manual they had found in the body of one such transport while scavenging for supplies. If this were the time period where Toyotas were in common use, did that mean...

_Spanner, how far back did you take us?_

That low burbling giggle tickled the back corner of Cyd's mind, but no other response was offered. Cyd, hesitant but hopeful, started down the path and among the other humans.

 


	3. Talus

**III. Talus**

 

The sky hadn't stayed open very long, really. All that drama over in less than a minute. Most people convinced themselves it was a natural phenomenon like the Northern Lights. Talus acted along with the rest, but couldn't shake the pull of the memory. Way too scattered to join their friends at the park for ultimate, they headed home to paint. Ilena and Lucy were both sitting on the couch, too totally engrossed in a documentary on human trafficking to pay much attention to their roomie's sudden reentry and perturbed mood. _The chore wheel can wait,_ Talus thought. _If I don't paint this right now I'm going to frickin puke._

It took a little time to mix the exact shade of orange they needed. That color was so weird, so specific. It might take some layering to get the full effect, but with the right paint combination Talus felt confident that they could get a close approximation on paper. A dark black void ringed in that orange surrounded by a clear blue sky appeared on the canvas. The small faces of tourists crying as they looked up lined the bottom of the work, and a single bicycle toppled on its side on the Embarcadero left a haunting impression of the electric dread that had been tangible at the time. Talus spent four or so hours on this project, only occasionally pausing to crack their neck or flex their cramped hand. The work was sloppier than their usual precise painting style, but they felt spent and satisfied. A knock sounded on their bedroom door.

"Heya, just wondering if you were planning to get these dishes washed tonight? I'd like to bake dream bars for the hospital fundraiser and it's kinda your turn..." Lucy, a tall blonde woman with a type-A personality, was shifting awkwardly from foot to foot in Talus' doorway. Lucy hated confrontation, and Talus knew she must have been working up to asking them to respect the chore wheel for at least half an hour. Oops.

"Yeah, of course. Sorry, Lucy. I'll do it right now." Talus stood up from the easel and was gratified to see Lucy's eyes widen as she observed the fresh painting. There was a flicker of recognition and discomfort there. "I know it's sloppy, but I kinda like it. Intense inspiration from that light show this afternoon, like 'This means something,' you know?"

"This means something..." Lucy murmured, then shook her head as if waking up from a daydream. "Yeah, pretty cool. Your painting is really evolving, Talus!" Lucy wasn't fond of her girlfriend's habit of shortening names and never referred to Talus as "Tallie" the way Ilena usually did. The android could tell she was anxious to get into the kitchen and hustled out to get the space clean.

The three roommates passed a pleasant evening together overall, Ilena and Talus blasting old Selena tunes while Lucy rolled her eyes and sliced the most perfect dream bars in town. Truly pinterest worthy, but then Lucy never did anything halfway. A bottle of cheap red wine was shared between the three, and as the two girls got more and more affectionate, Talus excused themself for an evening stroll around the neighborhood.

This area of Oakland had a great view and was being rapidly gentrified. It seemed like every week a beloved bodega was being torn down in favor of a raw vegan tapas joint or something of the sort. While the millenials that lived in the neighborhood certainly had contributed to this trend, Talus couldn't help but feel cranky about the rising prices. Soon they wouldn't be able to stay this close to the city and would have to start looking into San Bruno and other, crappier bay area suburbs. Gross.

Evening was working its way to full night, and the view across the bay filled Talus with a profound melancholy. They yearned for someone with whom to share the romantic view. Living with Lucy and Ilena was great and they couldn't ask for better roommates. Unfortunately, the couple were also a daily reminder of what Talus was lacking in their own life. Sure, they dated occasionally, but after their last relationship (a self-obsessed fellow art student who only wanted them as a "muse" before getting bored quickly and callously), they were hesitant to try to find love again. Feeling was great, but Feeling was also terrible. For now, it was less painful to focus on their work and creative growth.

Sighing, Talus continued along their walk. "Maybe I should learn to bake like Lucy. Worked for Ilena..." They wandered a few blocks to the funky little coffee shop near the corner of Webster and 2nd. The spot was called Bicycle and always tickled Talus with their punk graffiti feel and tattooed baristas. The delicious coffee was a favorite and the macaron cookies were divine. _I bet I could learn to bake these,_ they thought as they munched a cheerful pink one. It was grapefruit flavored, but the almond flour still held a prominent position in the overall flavor profile. Perfect.

If this were one of those chick-lit novels, the romantic comedies with covers the same color as the cookie in their hand, the gorgeous barista would say something cute about how alone Talus looked. They'd banter over the benefits of sugar to boost a sunken heart and end up in bed within the hour. Talus would insist that they _never_ do this as they boldly allowed themself to be swept into a night of raw animal passion.

"Hey buddy, we're closing up soon. I have to ask you to head out now," the gorgeous barista said apologetically. Talus flushed, wondering how long they had been staring. The cup of fair trade decaf in front of them was tepid, which was answer enough. G _od, how embarrassing_ , they thought to themself. Throwing another couple bucks in the tip jar on their way out, Talus walked sullenly back to their apartment.

Lucy and Ilena were nowhere to be seen, but the soft giggles coming from their shared bedroom indicated they'd continued to have a lovely evening without their third wheel. Hoping they'd snap out of their sudden funk after a good night's rest, they went to bed. Talus opted to switch off their Lucid Dream function and let their mind wander during Sleep Mode and powered down for the night. They dreamt in orange.

 

*** ***

 

The next day was Thursday, which found Talus back to the grind. They were feeling much more light-hearted than the previous evening. Thursday meant art class, and Talus had a week's worth of inspiration saved up. The BART ride into the city was pretty routine. Robot Heart buzzing a little too loudly in their E.A.R.s made for a great soundtrack as the city zipped past the window of the clunky old train. Today they were rocking two pencils for drumsticks, thwapping away at their thighs and occasionally pulling out a small pocket notebook to sketch a thought.

The sky was grey and overcast, as San Francisco mornings were wont to be and the bus from the train station to the Chinese restaurant was packed. No one wanted to walk when the weather was like this. West Coasters always got bummed out and lethargic when the sun was hidden. Of course, they complained on sunny days too. Humans were funny like that. Talus was in the process of mentally calculating the fastest non-bus route from work to art class when a snippet of conversation between two passengers caught their E.A.R.

"Did you see it? It was so weird. I tried to take a picture, but it just turned out all black. I don't know, maybe my finger was over the lens?"

"I can't believe I missed that! I was hungover as shit, dude. Slept right through it. Damnit!"

"Yeah, you've got to slow down. You party too much."

A tiny foot kicked Talus gently in the shin. They looked down, startled, and into the big eyes of a small human apparently too young to be in school.

"You shouldn't stare," the child said before being scolded by his mother for talking to strangers. Talus stuck out their tongue out at the kid on their way off the bus. The kid stuck his tongue out too, totally delighted. His mother yanked on his arm.

Work at the restaurant was slow, and Talus would have been bored out of their mind had the drama between two coworkers not been so entertaining. Word was they had been sleeping together until one found out the other had a secret long-distance girlfriend. Everyone was shocked and fascinated. Juicy gossip makes for a great pasttime. Eventually 6pm came around and the evening busser came in to relieve Talus. The art academy was near the waterfront and would take only a little longer to reach on foot than on the crowded bus. They decided it was worth the approximate 3.75 minute delay and set off.

A few blocks off the Embarcadero and just across the street from the art academy, Talus could swear they saw someone lurking in the dark alley. The sun would be down by the time class was over, so they made a mental note to be vigilant. The tourist district was famous for muggings, and the cash tips in their backpack were pretty much all the money they had right now. No creepy shadow mugger was going to jack their last few bucks! Fortunately, natural grace and intuition were part of the Art Droid package. They weren't overly worried.

The next few hours were euphoric. The classroom studio supplied Talus with access to way nicer materials than they could afford at home, and they took full advantage every week. Three hours per week wasn't enough, but that was all the class time Talus could afford. Barely. They layered paints on the base sketch they'd drawn out in last week's class, then started sketching out this week's works. The homeless woman on the bus two days ago, the twinkling city skyline as seen from lonely Oakland, the shadowy form in the alley outside. Somehow, Talus couldn't get the shoes quite right, so they gave up and sketched the creep barefoot.

Departing the classroom and spryly stepping down the stairs onto the street, they glanced surruptitiously toward the alleyway. The shadow wasn't visible there now, but Talus's servos hadn't settled. Those hackles were still up and their intuition said this creep hadn't gone far. Waiting for the bus back to the BART, Talus briefly set their backpack on the ground to fish out their transit pass. Before they could sling the bag back over their shoulder, two grimy hands snatched it away and were gone again in a flash.

"Oh god DAMN it!" They were shocked by the brazen bag snatching, but posessed the swift reflexes to spring after the thief. The creep must be new to the neighborhood, because they didn't get far before running into a dead end and freezing up. "Come on, man, just give back my stuff and we won't have to call the cops," Talus said in a tone they hoped sounded confident. They were hesitant to get into a scrape with a human. If the creep were armed and they got injured, they could find themself answering some uncomfortable questions from their nurse roommate. Lucy was too sharp to not notice an android's non-human vital signs and response to injury. On the other hand, if they hurt the human they could end up at the police station answering a different set of uncomfortable questions. A basic background check would show the fabricated life story of Talus Ford, but any deeper of an investigation and the government might have to intervene. Fortunately, none of that was necessary. The creep dropped the bag, hunched down over their bare feet and began to cry.

"I'm just so damn hungry. Please don't call for the authorities." The creep's voice wavered and was more soft and smooth than Talus expected.

"Oh hell, it's ok." Their compassion protocols overrode their anger. "I know a restaurant nearby where we can score you a hot meal. Follow me."

The barefoot creep stuck mostly to the shadowy edges, but Talus was able to get a look at a thin, hungry feminine face with sharp cheekbones and large brown eyes.

"What's your name, anyway?"

"I'm called Cyd. Do you have a name?"

"Uh, yeah. It's Talus. Pleasure to meet you, Cyd."

 


	4. Cyd

**IV. Cyd**

 

Though the discovery of other humans invoked waves of complicated emotion, Cyd settled on "cautious joy." The first few hours in this new and strange place left them wide-eyed. Memories of humanity were distant and fuzzy. Here in the past, however, there were people _everywhere_. It was strange to see the range of types, every facet of them a spectrum. Large to small, light to dark, hair of all lengths and colors! The cleaner people, many of whom were dressed in deeply impracticle fashions, tried not to look at Cyd. Not surprising. The newcomer was clad in mud-caked green clothing they had stolen from the ruins of a Toyota months ago in the future. They were still shoeless, which did not seem to be the case for anyone else around.

Only other people as unkempt as themself seemed to stick to the edges and shadows of buildings, eyes downcast and empty. Cyd was dirtier even than these sad souls. They kept to the edges and shadows too after realizing how much they stuck out. Main paths were too exposed even at night. Bright spotlights illuminated the streets, but not the alleys and doorways. Hours were spent that first night slinking and observing. Eventually Cyd's eyes grew too heavy to fight and they slept fitfully under a bench with other street people nearby.

The next morning was cloudy and dreary, which somewhat eased their tension about the sun's threatening presence. Other humans were walking around without care and Cyd followed their example. They maintained their distance from the cleaner folks rushing back and forth. Safer and more innocuous to stick with the street people and keep to the alleys. As they hadn't eaten in over two days, Cyd felt a sharp stab in their guts and wave of lightheaded queasiness. _Where does one obtain food in this place?_ Cyd observed people walking up to the window of a small building, chatting briefly with the person inside, then walking away with steaming cups of liquid and packages of breads. _Excellent. I can do this._

Cyd sidled up to the small building and tried to look casual. "Hello, may I acquire food here?" They immediately realized they must have approached this incorrectly, as the young human inside the building looked deeply uncomfortable.

"Uh, yes? What would you like?"

"One cup of hot beverage and one bread."

"I...um...a coffee? We have small or large."

"Yes, large coffee." Ok, maybe this was working out. A bit awkward, but they seemed to be making progress.

"Sure, and a...um...bread. Do you want the blueberry scone or the poppyseed muffin?" The person was clearly tense, but Cyd supposed their disheveled appearance was to blame for that. The others approaching the building had been cleaner ones.

"Muffin...a muffin. Yes."

"Ok, sure. That will be five dollars and forty cents."

"Ah. Yes. I will have those." Cyd and the young human stared at one another for a minute, neither sure what to say next.

"Um, ma'am? I need you to give me five dollars and forty cents or I can't give you your order." The person bit their lip and looked very awkward.

"Yes, I understand. Ok." Cyd, hesitant to cause a scene, backed away and tried to look as natural as possible as they slunk away. _Damn. Regional credits are still required in exchange for goods, I should have known._ Thievery seemed to be the available option. Very well. They would wait until it was dark again and scavenge as they had been doing for the past year. About half the day had passed. It wouldn't be long now.

The remainder of the day was spent avoiding conversation with other humans, which proved easy to accomplish, and enjoying the feeling of being outside and free to move about during the day. A few people attempted to engage in talk, but Cyd quickly learned that most preferred to keep to themselves and had no interest in speaking with a dirty street person. As they were still getting used to the idea of a world so full of humans, this was all the better. What could they even say to another person that wouldn't frighten or discomfit them? Best to observe and learn before integrating.

Evening approached. The clouds let fall a brief mist of rain, but it neither lasted long nor felt like acid. Cyd attempted to use the rainwater to clean themself, but only succeeded in smudging the mud into a lighter covering of grime. They would have to find a place to get clean and a set of fresh clothing soon. But first, food. They lurked in the darkened mouth of an alleyway not far from the site of their initial splashdown from the portal's exit point. A building with illuminated windows attracted an influx of humans close to Cyd's own age. Young adults carrying bags and chatting excitedly with one another. The last to arrive was slim and wearing a backpack. Their short hair stuck up in the back. This one seemed distracted enough to take by surprise. Cyd would wait for the human to leave the building again and follow them until they dropped the pack.

Hours later, people began to flood out of the building. Whatever event had transpired inside was clearly over, and again the distracted person was the last one. Perfect. The dreamy human trotted to a transport stop nearby and set down their bag. They were unaware that Cyd was waiting in the shadows. Quick as a lightning flash, Cyd grabbed the pack and darted away.

"Oh god DAMN it!" they heard from behind them, immediately followed by pounding feet on the pavement. _Damn, faster than I expected,_ thought Cyd with panic. They dipped into the nearest alley and found it was a dead end. _Damn! No way out!_

"C'mon man, just give back my stuff and we won't have to call the cops," the dreamer said. Their cheeks were bright and their lips were parted, a sure sign that they were afraid, but their voice was confident. Cyd understood that this person would rather call for the authorities than get into a physical altercation, ultimately a worse fate for Cyd than a fistfight.

Overcome by hunger and frustration, Cyd sunk to the ground. They crouched in the filthy alley, dirty and afraid and in pain. The static was back in their head and they wished the Spanner would wake up and take them away. If it could at least offer some guidance, that would be a start.

"I'm just so damn hungry. Please don't call for the authorities." They whispered. A deep shame clenched in their belly. Surprisingly, the dreamer's expression showed compassion rather than anger at this. Rather than shipping Cyd off to another lab or an internment facility, the dreamer offered to bring them to a place where they could receive food. Any distrust they felt melted at a look into the clear gray eyes of the human before them.

"What's your name, anyway?"

"I'm called Cyd. Do you have a name?"

"Uh, yeah. It's Talus. Pleasure to meet you, Cyd."

 

*** ***

 

The two now walked awkwardly through the darkened streets of San Francisco. Talus occasionally would ask a question, but received only vague answers in return.

"So where are you from, Cyd?"

"From another city. Far."

"Like, Chicago? St. Louis? London?" Talus laughed nervously. Cyd stared in response. "Ok no worries, man."

They reached the restaurant in mercifully short time. Talus told Cyd to stay put for a minute and ducked into the back door. After a few minutes had passed, the newcomer began to get nervous. What if this person was lying and had come to this place to turn them in after all? They were beginning to consider running away when Talus reemerged and beckoned Cyd into the building. Those gray eyes again. Cyd sighed, still unsure, but followed them into the restaurant.

Talus rushed Cyd through a room full of clanking metal and magnificent smells. They could have wept when they passed through and out into a hallway where the scents were quieter. A washroom grander than any Cyd had ever seen was the destination. Talus handed the grimy traveler a bundle of clean clothing and a dry white cloth.

"Here, take these. You can wash up in the sink with this side towel. We'll throw it in the laundry after, no worries. We're about the same size, so my work clothes should fit you ok. I'll get you a to-go meal while you get cleaned up. Don't take too long, ok? I could get in big trouble for this." A nervous glance toward the large room full of tables told Cyd that this human was taking a big risk for them. They were reminded of the androids that had assisted them during their flight from the NCE and were touched.

"Ok, I can be fast. I'll move on soon. Thank you, I don't want to put you in danger."

Talus looked surprised at the expression, but gratified that the urgency of the situation had been communicated. They departed and Cyd speedily cleaned themself in the basin. After taking advantage of the commode (such luxury was rare in the NCE) and dressing in the black shirt and pants, they exited the washroom. Talus was waiting with a bag that emitted smells so heavenly they could have cried. The two exited through the back door swiftly, Talus thanking the people in the loud kitchen on their way out.

Once out in the street again, the traveler and the dreamer shared a few moments of intimate, uncomfortable silence. Cyd shuffled their bare feet on the cold concrete. Talus patted the back of their head in a vain attempt to get the cowlick to settle. Brown eyes looked into gray and held. Neither knew what to say, nor did they have an easy time breaking eye contact now. The rumbly whine of Cyd's stomach pierced the silence.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Thank you. I should go." Stammered Cyd. Talus nodded, but didn't walk away.

"Do you have a shelter or something? Someplace to go tonight?"

"I don't...I don't know the way of things here. I haven't figured anything out. I will, though." Cyd felt warm in the face. They were embarrassed by the kindness and hospitality Talus showed. They didn't remember a time they had been treated with such care.

"You can stay with me." Both sets of eyes widened. Apparently Talus hadn't meant to say this, as much as Cyd hadn't expected to hear it. Though they hadn't meant to say it aloud, they seemed resolved to stick to the offer.

"Oh, no. That's...I don't want to cause you any inconvenience."

"You tried to steal my stuff. I already gave you my clothes. We're kinda past inconvenient at this part, right? I just can't let you go out there alone. You clearly don't know your way around and it's cold and wet and...I'm rambling. Sorry. I just feel like there's more I can do." Talus ran their hand over their scruffy hair again, clearly unsure of themself. "I mean, c'mon. Do you have a better offer?"

"You have a point. But how do you know I won't betray you? Remember, I already tried to steal from you. Why would you trust me in your homestead?" Cyd felt deeply ashamed. Not to mention hungry and bone-weary.

Softly, the dreamer assured "You won't. Not now. Ok? Please eat."

Cyd and Talus perched on the stoop of a nearby apartment building and Cyd ate. They had never tasted such a symphony of flavor. For the first time in a year, the noise in their head was sweet and beautiful.

 


End file.
